Belt



I April 1, 1941. A. L. ANDREWS BELT Filed May 22, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 AOM/PQL 4, n/vmiws INVENTOR ATTORNEY A. L. ANDREWS April 1, 1941.

BELT

Filed May 22, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN ENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 1, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE BELT Admiral L. Andrews, Shawnee, Okla.

Application May 22, 1939, Serial No. 274,989

4 Claims.

This invention relates tobelts for supporting trousers and other garments which fit comparatively snug about the waist of a wearer, and is an improvement over my Patent No. 1,886,617 issued November 8, 1932, and Patent No. 1,948,251 issued February 20, 1934.

High waisted trousers are at present in general use. Yet, so far as is known to the inventor, no practical means, save suspenders, is available for supporting these high waisted trousers in a position in which the are intended to be worn. An ordinary belt will support the trousers only by actual contact with that portion of the body immediately above the hip bones of the wearer.

It is the chief object of this invention, therefore, to provide a belt which is adapted to be secured to the inside of the trousers waist band in such position as to snugly fit that portion of the body of a wearer immediately above the hip bones, while supporting said trousers in such a position that the waist band of the trousers is considerably above that portion of the body actually contacted by the inside belt.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a belt of this class, the ends of which may be easily and quickly separated for removal of the trousers; and the length of which may be easily and quickly adjusted to suit the size of a wearer.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel means of adjusting the size of the belt, which means is so constructed that it may be sewed to the belt by machine rather than by hand, and during the construction of the belt itself.

The details in the construction of two preferred forms of my invention, together with other objects, will be better understood from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are chosen for illustrative purposes only, and in which,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the belt in position inside a pair of trousers, the trousers being shown fragmentarily;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of an end of a portion of the belt showing the details of construction;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a preferred type of stay or stiffener which is used in the construction of the belt;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the belt and trousers showing one means of detachably securing the trousers to the belt;

Figure 5 is a sectional view through that portion of the belt shown in Figure 2, after it has been completely assembled and the fastening means properly shaped;

Figures 6 and 7 are perspective views of a different embodiment of the invention;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary side elevation of one end portion of the belt showing the details of construction, particularly the manner of securing the fastening means to the belt proper;

Figure 9 is a perspective view of another form of stay or stiffener; and,

Figure 10 is a diagrammatic view which illustrates the relative positions of the various parts of the belt shown in Figures 6 and 7.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in all the figures.

Referring to the Figure 1 embodiment, the belt consists of an elongated band H of pliable material which is preferably made up of two thicknesses of the material, as shown in Figure 2. Each end of this band H is fitted with double hooks l2 which are made of comparatively fine wire having a relatively high tensile strength. The inner strip of material l3 has its end [4 turned back, as shown in Figure 2, and the hooks I2 are sewed directly to the material as shown by the dotted lines l5. The end ll; of the other piece of material I! is likewise turned under and is then sewed to the end M, the stitches of the machine passing over the wire hooks I2 without any interference therefrom. After each end of the band II is finished in this manner, the protruding portions of the hooks i2 are bent back as shown in Figure 5 to complete the formation of the hooks.

Intermediate its ends the band ii is provided with a plurality of stays or stiiieners I8. The stiifeners 88 include a wire skeleton IS, the upper end of which is in the form of a hook 263, the two ends of the Wire being secured together by a clamp 2|. A strip of adhesive tape 22 is then folded over the wire skeleton l9 and these stiffeners are sewed between the two strips of material i3 and IT, as shown by the dotted lines 23 in Figures 1 and 4.

Neither the wire skeleton l9 nor the adhesive tape 22 causes any interference with the machine as the two strips of material l3 and l! are sewed together along their outer edges as indicated by the stitching 24 and 25.

The upper edge of the composite band H is adapted to be attached to the trouser-s waistband 26 along its inside lower edge by means of bars or hookeyes 21, which are sewed to the inside of the trousers as shown. The band ll is preferably of less length than the waist measurement of the trousers which it is adapted to support. The gap between the ends of the band i I is adapted to be bridged by a second band which is designated as a whole by the numeral 23. Intermediate its ends this band 23 is also provided with a stiffener and integral hook 20 which hook is adapted to engage one of the bars 21 at a point substantially in alignment with the top front button of the trousers. The construction of each end of the band 28 is more clearly disclosed in Figures 1 and 8. A plurality of spaced bars 29 made of wire, have their opposite ends sewed toa strip of goods 30 substantially in the position shown. The outside edges of the goods 3b are then lapped over the adjacent ends of the bars 29 and are sewed in position as designated by the stitching 3|. A narrow strip of goods 32 is then sewed to the goods 3!] and covers the adjacent inner ends of the bars 29, the bars presenting no interference with the stitching of the goods by machine. This leaves only the central portion of the bars 29 exposed, as indicated by the numeral 33 in Figures 1 and 8. These exposed portions 33 of the bars 29 serve to receive the double hooks l 2 which are attached to each end of the band I l. By fastening the hooks l2 to various ones of the bars 33 size adjustment is obtained.

When the trousers are unbuttoned, the flap 34 is free to uncover that portion of the band designated by the numeral 35 and its arrows. The wearer may then unhook the hooks I2 from the respective bars 33 and the trousers may be removed without the necessity of unhooking the opposite end of the band 28 from the adjacent end of the band II, and without removing any part of the composite belt from the trousers.

Referring now to the embodiment of the invention disclosed in Figures 6 and 7, 9 and 10, this belt consists of two bands 36 and 31, of pliable material such as fabric, substantially equal in length and adapted to have their ends adjustably secured together at opposite points adjacent each side of the wearer, as shown in Figure 10, and by means preferably identical to the means described in the Figure 1 embodiment. Figures 6 and 7 illustrate the band 31 as being considerably longer than the band 36 for ease in illustration only, the preferred relative lengths being shown more accurately in Figure 10. The ends of the band 3'! are provided with identical spaced bars 29 as shown in Figure 6, the end construction being preferably the same as illustrated in Figure 8, and as previously described. Instead of the stays Hi, this embodiment preferably includes spaced stays 38 of the type illustrated in Figure 9, the

difference being that the hook 2!! is omitted from the stays 38.

The opposite ends of the band 35 are each equipped with double hooks 39 preferably identical to the hooks I2 of the Figure 1 embodiment, and adapted to be hooked over selected ones of the bars 29 on the ends of the band 31 for adjusting the size of the belt. This band 36 also includes spaced stays 38 for preventing the lower edge of the belt from rolling up when in use.

As illustrated in Figure '7 the band 36 is made in two pieces, 40 and M, the inner ends of which are adapted to be detachably secured together at a point just to the left of the trouser opening 42, as shown by the dotted lines in Figure 10. The means for detachably securing the inner ends of these two pieces 40 and 4| together preferably includes spaced double hooks 43, identical to the hooks 39 and I2, and similarly spaced double eyes 44 for receiving the hooks. The eyes 44 are formed preferably from a single piece of wire in a manner similar to the manner in which the hooks I2 are formed, as shown in Figure 2.

This particular embodiment is intended to be installed inside the trousers and to become a permanent part of the trousers instead of being detachable. This particular belt is preferably stitched to the inside of the trousers between the points designated by the numerals 45-46,.

4'| l8, 49-50, the upper edge of the belt being stitched along the lower edge of the trousers waist band. Thus the belt may be adjusted at the sides to fit that portion of the body immediately above the wearers hip bones, yet the high waist band of the trousers is held above that particular portion of the body. To remove the trousers the hooks 43 are removed from the eyelets 44, the points of adjustment being undisturbed.

From the above description it will be seen that I have produced an adjustable inside belt for high waisted trousers and other garments which supports the garment and holds it in a higher relative position on the wearers body than it can be held by an outside belt passing through belt loops on the outside of the waist band.

While I have described the construction of two embodiments of the invention, I realize that the invention is capable of being expressed in other embodiments, and I do not wish to be limited except by the prior art and by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A fabric belt construction including means for adjustably securing the ends of the belt together comprising: a plurality of spaced transverse bars sewed at each of their ends to one surface of an elongated strip of fabric near one of its ends, each end of each bar being in the form of a loop or eyelet to more firmly secure the various bars to the fabric; a narrow strip of material sewed along each edge of said strip of fabric in position to cover those ends of the bars adjacent the respective side edges thereof; and a separate narrow strip of material sewed to said strip of fabric substantially along its center line to cover an additional portion of said bars. and adapted in combination with the two sewed on edge strips to define shallow longitudinally extending grooves traversed at intervals by exposed portions of said bars; a pair of spaced comparatively wide hooks made of a single piece of wire, the ends of which are also in the form of loops or eyelets, sewed to the same surface of the first mentioned strip of fabric near its opposite end, and adapted to hook over the exposed portions of selected ones of said bars; and fabric sewed to the first mentioned strip of fabric covering the looped end and the shank portion of said hook, leaving only the bar engaging portion of the hook exposed.

2. A fabric belt construction including means for adjustably securing the ends of the belt together comprising: a plurality of spaced transverse bars sewed at each of their ends to one surface of an elongated strip of fabric near one of its ends, each end of each bar being in the form of a loop or eyelet to more firmly secure the various bars to the fabric; a narrow strip of material sewed along each edge of said strip of fabric in position to cover those ends of the bars adjacent the respective side edges thereof; and a separate narrow strip of material sewed to said strip of fabric substantially along its center line to cover an additional portion of said bars, and adapted in combination with the two sewed on edge strips to define shallow longitudinally extending grooves traversed at intervals by exposed portions of said bars; a pair of spaced comparatively wide hooks made of a single piece of Wire, the ends of which are also in the form of loops or eyelets, sewed to the same surface of the first mentioned strip of fabric near its opposite end, and adapted to hook over the exposed portions of selected ones of said bars; and fabric sewed to the first mentioned strip of fabric covering the looped end and the shank portion of said hook, leaving only the bar engaging portion of the hook exposed; and a plurality of spaced inwardly opening hooks attached along the upper edge of said belt for attaching the belt to the interior surface of the waist band of a pair of trousers.

3. A belt construction which includes a plurality of spaced laterally extending bars attached at their ends only to one surface of an elongated pliable band of material near its end, an integral narrow strip of material along each edge of said band being reversely folded and secured in position to form a hem covering those ends of the bars adjacent the respective side edges of the band; and a separate narrow strip of material secured to said band along its longitudinal center line to cover an additional pontion of said bars,

and adapted in combination with the folded portions of said band to form spaced shallow longitudinally extending grooves along at least a portion of one surface of the band, with exposed intermediate portions of said bars traversing said grooves, said grooves adapted to serve as guides and seats for hooks adapted to be hooked over said bars for fastening the ends of the belt together.

4. In combination with a pair of trousers having a waistband, a belt construction for the detachable connection of same to the inside waistband of said trousers, which includes a plurality of inwardly opening hooks attached in spaced relation along the upper edge of the belt, each book including a shank portion attached transversely to the belt and adapted to normally lie in an upright, or substantially vertical plane and a semi-oval hook portion opening toward the inside of said belt, the opposite sides of said hook portion being substantially parallel and lying in respective planes which are substantially at rightangles to said shank portions; and eyelets secured in corresponding position on the inside of .the trousers waistband, the bar portion of said eyelets running parallel to the edge of said belt.

ADMIRAL L. ANDREWS. 

